Sunday would have been Brandon Ellingson’s 21st birthday. Hundreds of people filled the Valley High School cafeteria to celebrate the man whose life was cut short.

It was a birthday unlike any other the Ellingson family had celebrated before. The birthday, turned vigil, was one where many couldn't hold back the tears.

The vigil featured Brandon's favorite song that lasted four and a half minutes, which was same amount of time Brandon spent in the water.

“He had played that just prior to him tragically passing,”

Crowds were clad in No. 30 T-shirts, Brandon's football number, and the reminder to “Never Forget.”

“I was just real humbled to see all the people, support that we have,” Brandon’s dad, Craig, said.

Support came from not only from longtime friends, but also acquaintances made the day of the tragedy.

Acquaintances like Leta Moreau, who witnessed the incident and said the trooper had several opportunities to save Brandon's life.

“I'm a mom, and the fact that a fellow mother has lost her child to something that's so unavoidable is... There are no words,” Moreau said.

For Craig Ellingson, it's about remembering his son and finding the motivation to move on, something he can't fathom quite yet.

“I've got a daughter and I’ve got a business to run, so I have a life to live. I'm trying to do the best I can to move forward,” he said.

Moreau said she wants to reiterate that the trooper and Brandon were standing side-by-side when they passed her family's boat back in May. Her story contradicts what the Missouri troopers have claimed.

The Ellingson family is seeking damages for Brandon’s mental and physical suffering and loss of reputation. Court documents indicate Piercy violated Ellingson’s constitutional rights in failing to properly secure him while he was handcuffed and in Piercy’s direct custody.

In addition to the vigil held in West Des Moines, friends and family held vigils in Missouri and in Arizona, where Brandon went to school.